Hydrogen sulfide biological removal efficiency by vermicompost horizontal biofilter

Abstract To efficiently treat hydrogen sulfide (H2S) from contaminated air, we designed a fixed carrier horizontal biofilter. The biofilter system was packed with vermicompost as baffle plate. The inlet concentration and the thickness of media on the removal efficiency were studied. Furthermore, a final product analysis and the macro-kinetics of bio-degradation were also evaluated. The results showed that the horizontal biofilter can be started quickly, favorable removal efficiencies of H2S were proved and reached nearly100% when the inlet concentration lower than 350 mg m −3 . The thickness of vermicompost affected the H2S removal efficiency. It was found that the nutrient elements of vermicompost increased, especially the sulfur increased significantly. In addition, in kinetic analysis, the semi-saturation constant and maximum removal rate of H2S were calculated to be 417.1 mg m −3 and 1428.6 g m −3 d −1 . The results presented in this study the horizontal vermicompost biofilter was effective for removing H2S contaminated air, and will be valuable for further research and engineering applications.